


Threat Ratio

by Jarakrisafis



Category: Transformers Generation One
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-21
Updated: 2011-05-21
Packaged: 2017-10-23 23:44:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/256422
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jarakrisafis/pseuds/Jarakrisafis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>There was a reason most Decepticons had Wheeljack ranked as a higher threat than Prime, and it had nothing to do with fighting ability and everything to do with unpredictability.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Threat Ratio

When the empty energon cube bounced off his helm Soundwave gave it no thought. Although throwing energon cubes was not a logical attack method it was perfectly reasonable for a mech to discard a cube after needing to refuel if any energon lines had been hit.

When the piece of scrap metal bounced off his chest he narrowed his optics behind his visor, scanning the battlefield for the culprit.

A bundle of frayed wiring that narrowly missed him finally allowed him to locate the mech responsible.

He had to reset his optics as he stared at the Autobot who had one hand elbow deep in one of his subspace pockets, obviously searching for something. Even as he watched he pulled another section of scrap metal out, glanced at it, before shaking his head and tossing it over a shoulder.

With his target distracted he took the time to power up his cannon, waiting for the optimum power to be reached before firing. At such point blank range the Autobot would pay for his stupidity. As the readouts on his HUD turned green he levelled the cannon, only to jerk it up at the last moment. The blast streaked upwards into the sky, narrowly missing Thrust as he flashed by, Superion hot on his afterburners.

Soundwave froze as the engineer casually tossed the grenade over a shoulder, a panicked wideband comm. from another mech who had evidently seen the danger scattering Decepticons and Autobots alike.

The device managed to blow a sizable crater in the ground as both sides of the conflict backed up; Wheeljack didn’t even flinch at the shockwave as it rolled past him, his attention back on the arm buried in his subspace.

With no small amount of bemusement he watched as the Autobots backed up from their own mech.

Another item whistling past his audios to land behind him - where it promptly began to emit a bright purple cloud of smoke - gave him time to consider his options. Of which, logically there was only one; get well away from the crazy mech before the next thing to come this way is more explosive than a grenade.

Suiting actions to thoughts he quickly backed up, aware of several lower ranked Decepticons all following his example and scrambling away.

Just in time as the next item emitted several sparks, prompting the engineer to fling it away with several curses. Defensor and Bruticus both froze where they had been grappling before both looking at each other, then at the innocent seeming box, before looking back at each other and apparently coming to a mutual decision. They disassembled and dove for cover even as the box removed a sizable chunk of the earth they had been standing on.

Returning his cannons to subspace Soundwave simply watched as item after item was discarded, the nearest mechs cringing as each new item hit the ground. And it wasn’t helping the moral of the Decepticon troops that the Autobots had evacuated the nearby area and were watching the engineer with the same trepidation from the other side of the battlefield.

“What exactly is going on? Why aren’t you attacking you fools?” Megatron’s annoyed voice cut across the battlefield as he swooped down, landing beside Soundwave.

Tilting his head at his leader’s battered form, obviously he had been tangling with Prime again, and since he was here and not being carted off by Hook he had probably come out on top this time. “Autobot: Wheeljack.” He stated, as that clearly gave the Warlord all the information he needed.

“What? You are all scared of a single Autobot scientist!” He snarled, addressing all the troops in the nearby area. “Cowards.” He spat as he stalked forwards, lifting his fusion cannons as he went.

The flash of light from the cannons was expected, the wall of blue fire and black smoke, not so much and both Autobot and Decepticon alike winced, as they peered into the smoke to see what had happened.

“Well, that wasn’t very nice.” A disembodied voice said as the smoke started to slowly dissipate.

The engineer was staring down at the offline Warlord with a frown as he prodded his own shoulder plating which appeared to have been grazed by a fusion blast.

“What did he do this time?” Hook asked as he waved to the Autobot medic who had arrived to yell at the volatile engineer, as he made his way over to Megatron

Soundwave tilted his head as he watched the Autobots begin to fall back, before returning his gaze to Hook. “Autobot: Wheeljack.”


End file.
